I-494 Corridor Commission funding provided, and money appropriated.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Patty Acomb and 5 co-sponsors

One-time $300,000 General Fund grant to the Metropolitan Council for the I-494 Corridor Commission to fund program activities, with no administrative use allowed, due by June 30, 2

Introduction and first reading, referred to Transportation Finance and Policy

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Objective

HF 3655 seeks a targeted, one-time appropriation to support the I-494 Corridor Commission’s activities. The bill provides a grant from the Minnesota General Fund to the Metropolitan Council to fund programming, expansion of services, and related operational activities for the Commission, with specific constraints on how the funds are used and by when.

Key provisions

Funding amount and source

Summary: Appropriates $300,000 in fiscal year 2026.
Source: General Fund.

** recipient and purpose**

The grant is awarded to the Metropolitan Council to be provided to the I-494 Corridor Commission.
Authorized uses include:
Programming
Service expansion
Staffing
Communications
Outreach and education program development
Operations management

Administrative limitations and timing

The Metropolitan Council may not retain or use any portion of the grant for administrative costs. All funds are to be used for program-related activities.
The grant payments must be made in full by June 30, 2026.
This is explicitly described as a one-time appropriation; the section is not ongoing funding.

Effective date

Section becomes effective the day after final enactment (immediately upon enactment, insofar as it applies).

Who is affected

I-494 Corridor Commission: Benefit from an enhanced administrative and program capacity through expanded staffing, outreach, and operations, via the grant administered by the Metropolitan Council.

Metropolitan Council: Receives the appropriation but must allocate it entirely to the I-494 Corridor Commission’s non-administrative activities; cannot keep funds for overhead.

Minnesota taxpayers/General Fund: Funding is a one-time expenditure from the General Fund, representing a single-year investment in the I-494 corridor initiative.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Introduction and referral: HF 3655 was introduced February 23, 2026 and referred to the Transportation Finance and Policy committee.

Est. expenditure timeline: Funds must be disbursed by June 30, 2026, as a one-time grant.

Policy context: The bill explicitly limits administrative use of the funds, directing the grant toward programmatic activities and support for the Commission’s operations.

Notable details

The bill includes co-sponsors: Julie Greene, Alex Falconer, Nathan Coulter, Patty Acomb, Steve Elkins, and Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn.

The text emphasizes that the appropriation is a separate, stand-alone (one-time) provision and does not implicate ongoing funding beyond FY 2026.

If you’d like, I can add a brief comparison to related transportation funding instruments or outline potential monitoring and reporting expectations you’d expect for a one-time grant of this nature.

Bill